After the ending
by katieeeeee
Summary: Robert and Sophie are blissfully happy wedding bells are ringing and there's even talk of children! But their love life may have to be put on hold when they are called to help with a strange kidnapping... I'm back, folks! R and R please!
1. Is this goodbye?

After the ending… 

Sophie gazed sadly out of the window of Roslin Church, miserably looking out on the beautiful Scottish countryside. Nearly a day earlier, Robert had left to go home- and she suddenly wished she hadn't let him go. It was funny; she had never really thought of her and Robert's relationship as more than professional- after all, they had only known each other a day or two. The setting for their recent adventures had been hardly romantic- and running from the law across Europe didn't really give her much time to think about them in that way. But somehow, he kept drifting into her thoughts. 'This is stupid, Sophie,' she kept telling herself. She'd found her family at last, and discovered a secret that had changed her life dramatically. Her childhood dreams had all come true, the pain and grief of her family finally over. But as she sat forlornly here now, the flashbacks came flooding back.

Running through London under pursuit of the police was not really the best way to get to know a man... but now she looked back she realised it was exciting- and even more so- she missed Robert. Now she had just one glimmer of hope- their meeting in Florence. At first, when they had first met, she assumed afterwards she would go on living like she had earlier, alone. However now, she felt a new sense of hope; did she really want to live life just watching others live it? The kiss they had shared still brought tingles up her spine- it was that moment she realised that the answer to that question was no. That night, standing there in the moonlight, when she leaned in for that magical moment… she wasn't sure why she did it- they had known each other only one day, but there was one thing she knew- that it felt right. Staring out into the beautiful Scottish countryside, she knew it was selfish- she should be happy, she had got everything she had ever wanted; except one thing, a place in her heart that felt… missing. And that empty place, she realized now, was love.

Meanwhile, in a taxi far, far away, on the way out of Scotland, was Robert Langdon himself. Those last few hours with Sophie, he thought, had been the strangest hours of his life. This was puzzling, as a mere day ago, he and Sophie had been fugitives of the French police, and being let in on one of the biggest secrets ever kept by man, yet the experience he had just had was no doubt stranger. There was a feeling inside him- he wasn't sure where it came from, but Sophie's face still lingered in his thoughts. One thing he knew was, after his brief stint with the gifted Vittoria Vetra, he had never thought so much about it as he was now. He sat in the back seat and thought deeply. What was he doing with his life? A young woman like Sophie, he thought, would never think anything of him… yet when she kissed him like that... well he knew it was no peck on the cheek…. Little did he know that far away, Sophie was contemplating it too. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. Robert never did random, impulsive things; but he was sure that today those days would end…

Sophie emerged from her daydreams with a jolt. Her phone was ringing. "Oui?" she answered wearily, too immersed in thoughts to talk. "Sophie?"

said a comforting voice. "Robert!" her heart leaped. "How is the journey home?"

"Its fine… but to be honest I had something on my mind…"

"What is on your mind Robert?" enquired Sophie, at the same time silently praying that he had decided to come back for her. She knew it was silly, but these thoughts came rushing into her and she couldn't stop it.

"You, Sophie." Robert's rich, clear voice ringed out, almost as if he was next to her. "Me?" Sophie choked, her voice noticeably a couple of notches higher than earlier. "I mean.. why were you thinking about me?" She heard Robert exhale deeply and waited tensely for what seemed like an age before he replied. "Because Sophie…" he hesitated, " I think.. that I've fallen in love with you."

Her heart did a couple of somersaults before she answered. "I... I don't know what to say!" she hesitated a moment, "But… how far away are you now?"

"Well… that depends on how far away you class the front driveway…" he said slowly but with a hint of mischief in his tone. Sophie leaped up, joy filling her. She raced out into the graveyard, where in the distance a handsome figure stood, with a hint of a smile on his tired looking face. She flung her arms around him and hugged him like she never wanted to let go. Robert looked into her eyes and said in that droll way he always did; "Well I guess we're going to have to bring forward that date, I suppose…"

And in response, Sophie cut him short and kissed him. When they came apart, she looked at him, and in a determined voice replied; "I suppose we will, Mr Langdon, I suppose we will…"

From the window of the chapel, a contented Marie Chauvel smiled as she looked out upon the grounds of Roslin Chapel, where she had hid for many years with the Priory. Looking back, she wished she could have been there for her granddaughter Sophie as she was growing up, and was glad that she had been accepted into Sophie's life, after all this time and heartbreak. Now, as she watched Robert laughing with her, and Sophie gazing up into his eyes, she knew that at last, Sophie had found happiness. And this time, she vowed, she would be with her.

Out in the grounds, Sophie and Robert flopped down on the grass laughing.

"So, now all the life changing secrets and controversies have ended, what do you suppose we do?" Robert said, playfully placing a daisy in Sophie's hair.

"Well…" Sophie grinned, "I suppose we'll just have to find another mystery, wont we?" Robert groaned.

"I think I've had enough of that for a lifetime!"

A moment passed, a contented silence was kept between them. Sophie squeezed his hand gently, and with a happy smile said; "Thank you, Robert." Robert looked up in surprise.

"Why?" he enquired.

"For coming back for me," Sophie said softly.

Robert hugged her. "I had to, Sophie. You'll never believe how bored I was without running around somewhere with you!"

She grinned. "I thought you said you'd had enough of that!"

"Well one thing's for sure- I certainly haven't had enough of you!" Robert replied. She smiled, then felt a wash of emotion cover her as for a moment she recalled the past few day's events. She had lost what she thought was her last relative, been held at gunpoint and been a fugitive. Now, she thought, she had found more family, and had at last found love. She was a bit overwhelmed, so she was still for a moment. After a while, she spoke.

"Neither am I… and now I know why my grandfather wanted me to find you."

Robert blinked.

"I'm sorry?" he said in a confused voice. "I wrote a book about the very secret he was guarding. Isn't that why?"

"Yes," Sophie replied. "But… I think he wanted me to meet you for another reason as well…"

Robert looked at her in disbelief.

"You think your grandfather set us up?"

After a moment Sophie let a grin creep up her face. "He could always tell a smart match…"

Robert laughed, and then kissed her lightly on the head. "So… you think we're a smart match?" Sophie gave a cheeky grin.

"Oh yes," She gave a wry smile, "Brilliant."

Robert pulled her close. "I totally agree." They kissed and when they separated he smiled. "Princess Sophie."


	2. Now I have to leave

After one glorious week in Scotland with Sophie, Robert finally had to leave. Sophie was sad for him to go- but Robert had promised that he would stay with her- and Sophie knew Robert well enough now to know that Langdon was a man who kept his promises.

It was the final morning of his stay, and Sophie woke full of remorse. They hadn't (cough cough) _done _anything yet… but Sophie was beginning to feel like their relationship was starting to get serious. She glanced quickly at her calendar- she knew she would be counting the days until they met again in Florence. Across the hallway of the massive house, she listened intently to the waking Robert. She giggled slightly as she looked at the old fashioned clock on the wall- this was madness, it was only seven am- back in Paris, she found it hard to rouse herself at nine! But a part inside of her knew that being with Robert Langdon had changed her life in a big way… and she was glad, as she knew that the new Sophie would be happier than ever.

Robert groaned. _'Where am I?' _He thought groggily, his mind foggy. _'Ah yes,' _He mused, _'I'm in Scotland with Sophie' _Robert was a man who had seen many strange and mind-boggling things, yet he always found it hard to fathom that he was here, with Sophie, every morning that he woke to the beautiful backdrop of Scotland. He had been inside the Vatican Secret Archives, learned shattering secrets about the world's history- and seen more than his fair share of corpses… yet when he was with a woman, all of those things were overshadowed and suddenly those things didn't really matter. _'I guess it's an art that no one can perfect' _He thought, sighing. He checked Mickey, who at present was sat on the dresser. _7:45. _He groaned again. He knew it was early, but now fully awake he knew he had no chance of getting back to sleep.

He looked at the Italian painting on the wall and sighed. It reminded him immensely of his past love Vittoria Vetra. Fiery, with a big presence, he stared as he realised he had thought that the two of them would have a future together. Now, as he looked back, he realised that it was never to be. The two of them would clash… their personalities were totally different… although she was really beautiful, but with remorse he realised that was probably the only reason for their intimate relationship. Sophie and he, however, gelled. She was quiet at times, like him, but had a droll sense of humour and just clicked, emotionally as well as physically. Dragging himself away from his thoughts, he had a revelation that he might possibly look a bit stupid just lying here, and decided to get up. He had a quick shower, and then ventured downstairs, wearing jeans and a casual t-shirt, to find Sophie downstairs, obviously deep in thought.

"Sophie?" A gentle voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Robert, and thought she might cry as she looked up into his crystal blue eyes. _'I don't want to leave you' _she thought silently. "Hi," she replied, her voice distant. Robert looked concerned. "Is there something wrong, Soph? Her heart lit up as he said her name. Soph. No one had ever called her that. Well, her friends at school had, but she knew that, somehow, for him to be calling her a nickname, their relationship was warming. "No," She said, knowing damn well that there was."It's just…" she hesitated, "I'll miss you!" Robert's expression suddenly showed that the feeling was mutual. "So will I, Sophie," his face filled with emotion. "But you know that its only a month till we go to Florence!"

She smiled. "Yes," she replied. Sheepishly, she lifted her calendar off the wall and showed it to Robert. On the day they were due to go to Florence, she had scribbled;

FLORENCE WITH ROBERT! with a large heart drawn around it, rather like when she was a little girl and she had a date with a boy from school. She blushed."I can't wait, Robert," and with that, she gave him a quick kiss and a hug. Robert had a grin from ear to ear.

"I hope we can do THAT in Florence," he said with a cheeky grin. She gave a mischievous smile. "Au contraire," she said. "I was thinking more along the line of this…" as she locked him in a passionate embrace, which quickly developed into an intense kiss. She felt on top of the world as she relaxed into his strong arms… which she supposed she was, being in the highlands and all- but she decided not to mention it and just enjoy the moment."Robert?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Yes, Sophie?" he answered. She sighed. "What-what…" she hesitated, "What happens to us one Florence is over?"

Robert also sighed. "I don't know, Sophie," he said, his deep voice laced with remorse. "But there's one thing I'm sure of- if staying with you means leaving my job- I'll do it."

Sophie looked up in shock. "You don't need to,"

Robert drew his breath. Was she not serious about their relationship? He felt apprehension growing in the pit of his stomach.

She silenced his worries by replying; "I meant that I'm applying for a cryptology job in America." Robert was relieved, but quickly his relief gave way to more curiosity.

"Where?" he asked, "But... Paris is your home!"

Sophie gave a hint of a smile. "Paris has been good for me." She exhaled, a look of adventure creeping up her face, "But recent events have made me want to make a new start," she gave him a passionate kiss. She paused. "A new start with you,"

Robert's heart soared. "You mean… your applying for a job near Harvard?" she grinned. "You could say that…" Robert laughed. He could tell she was toying with him. "All I'm saying is that the mathematics department could do with some new staff!" He grabbed her and hugged her tight. Both of them never wanted that moment to end- but it had to. Their moment of love was ended abruptly, in the form of an angry taxi driver banging on the door. "Damn!" Robert joked, "Do I have to go already?" She smiled back jokingly, but both of them inside felt a waveof sadness.With one last kiss, Robert walked out of the door. Sophie stood outside waving for what seemed like an eternity, until finally the car was out of sight. _'Now,' _she thought. _'Better start packing!' _


	3. Welcome to the Priory!

As if she had been there all along, Marie Chauvel glided into the room. Sophie eyed her suspiciously. _'She really does look like a queen…' _Sophie mused, almost laughing at how she entered gracefully into the room.

"Good morning, Princess," Marie called, "How are we today?"

Judging from the expression on Sophie's face, Marie realised that Mr. Langdon must have gone. "So…" she started, "He's gone then?" she grinned, "Your boyfriend?"

Sophie went crimson, but Marie could detect a glimmer of a smile on her granddaughter's face. "Yes," Sophie sighed.

"A shame…" Marie's eyes glinted mischievously, "I wouldn't mind him staying a bit longer…" Sophie eyes went wide. "Grandmère!" she giggled, giving her a playful push. Her eyes suddenly fell on the calendar. She panicked. _'Merde'_ she thought, _'If Grandmère sees this I will never hear the end of it' _A long silence passed between the two of them. Sophie sipped her cup of tea and Marie smiled at the subdued expression on Sophie's face.

"What's the matter, Sophie?" Marie enquired. Sophie looked up.

"I'm fine… it's just" she trailed off. Marie sat down next to her. Although she had not seen Sophie for many years, she knew her well enough to almost read her mind.

She sighed. "You want to know what will happen now that you are one of us," Sophie stared, shocked. "How did you know?"

Marie gave her a hug. "Sophie, a grandmother knows," Sophie grinned at this.

"in answer to your question, things will not be the same now that you have found the priory," Sophie slumped. She had been thrilled to have found her family at last, but she had a feeling that now nothing would be the same for her.

Marie continued. "You will, unfortunately, be needing a bodyguard." She took a deep breath, "Everything you do must be watched over and surveyed." Sophie reeled.

Then she got angry. "I don't want a bodyguard!" she scowled, "I can look after myself!" Marie looked at her obstinate face, and memories of a young Sophie came flooding back. They had always wondered; 'Where does she get that scowl from?' Since being a little baby, she had perfected that look. Marie fought a smile as she watched the look of disgust and disdain grow up Sophie's pretty face. _'The same since the day she was born' _She sighed. "Sophie, please listen a moment," Sophie stopped momentarily to give her grandmother some serious daggers. Marie inhaled.

"However," She grinned slightly. "I had a chat with Mr. Langdon last night…" Sophie stopped. "And…?" she was growing impatient with this situation.

Marie replied quickly. "And… he has obliged- with your consent of course- that he will be your, shall we say, protector," Sophie's scowl quickly disappeared.

'_That idea I could get used to…" _she thought, with a mischievous smile. A minute passed, Sophie thinking of all the things she and her 'bodyguard' could do.

"Sophie darling?" Marie dragged Sophie back from her thoughts. "What do you think?" Sophie flung her arms around her.

"Yes, grandmère!" she laughed, "That would be wonderful…"

Marie sighed. _'Girls.' _She chuckled. _'Always the same. Offer them a boy and they'll do anything you want.' _"Well in that case," she kissed her long lost granddaughter.

"Welcome to the priory!"


	4. Turbulence

_One month later…_

Sophie Neveu, it seemed, had just redefined excitement. To say that she was looking forward to the visit to Florence was an understatement! Standing outside Roslin Chapel, she waited impatiently for the taxi. She had said her goodbyes to her brother Adam and her grandmère. She glanced quickly at her watch. It was getting old now, and was starting to fray at the edges. She groaned. _'Where is it?' _She pondered for a moment, scanning the horizon for any sign of a passing vehicle. _Should I walk down to meet the taxi at the bottom of the hill? _She dismissed this and carried on looking for the taxi. "Stupid taxi firm," she muttered under her breath in disgruntled French.

From the window, Marie watched Sophie, an amused look on her wrinkled face. She checked the ornate grandfather clock in the corner. Sophie had at least another half hour before she had to start thinking about setting off, but she was so excited about seeing Robert again. She felt her eyes welling up, a deep sense of regret creeping up in her. She had missed all of Sophie's childhood. She hadn't been there when she'd needed her, but the bond between them was strong, and Marie knew that Sophie was serious about this. She laughed, looking at Sophie hastily checking her watch. _'She's really crazy about him," _Sophie caught her eye from outside and beckoned her to join her. Marie went outside and stood happily with her.

"Grandmère, you would not believe how late I'm going to be!" Marie sighed and put a patient arm around her. "Sweetie, you have more than enough time," Sophie leant on her shoulder and smiled. "Grandmère…" her big olive eyes full with tears,

"I know you might think that we're going too fast," she smiled tearfully, "but the last couple of weeks have really made me think of a few things… and- I think I'm in love," This time a tear somehow found its way out of Marie's green eyes.

"Princess, I do not think you are going too fast at all," she hugged her tight, "Sometimes a few weeks is all it takes for true love," Sophie looked up at her.

"You think its true love?" Sophie said, blinking.

"Do you?" Marie asked her honestly. Then, fighting the tears, Sophie Neveu nodded, and she knew that she believed it.

Then, as if right on cue, the taxi arrived. Sophie hesitated, as if unsure. Marie nudged her. "Go," she said, her voice full of emotion. Sophie kissed her and hauled her suitcase over to the taxi.

'_My god' _Marie stared in awe at the huge suitcase, _'How much has she packed?' _

Sophie dived in the taxi, and as it slowly backed out of the yard, Sophie stuck her head out of the window.

"Au revoir!" she yelled, with a smile from ear to ear. Marie felt a smile arriving on her face. "Au revoir!" she yelled back. Now, as she watched a contented Sophie settle into the back seat, head filled with dreams of Florence, she felt happier than she had in years.

Meanwhile, in the taxi, Sophie felt a twist of apprehension in her stomach. _'I'm going to see Robert!' _she thought, fighting the urge to sing out in happiness. A broad grin settling on her face, she decided to get some rest. She settled her head on the soft interior of the car. Slowly, she drifted off, her head full of dreams of what they might do. _'Moonlit walks…candlelit dinners…' _Sophie didn't care what they did in Florence; just being with him was enough for her. Then she dreamed of Harvard. A new life with Robert, and a new job as a maths teacher! She imagined standing at the front of a classroom, avidly explaining all new cryptology methods to college kids. Everything she had always wanted… and more. Symbols and visions clouded in front of her, until she finally fell fast asleep.

When she woke up, they were pulling in to the airport car park. A surge of excitement hit her. She felt like singing! Looking hastily at her tattered watch, she gave the driver a wad of cash and jumped out, grabbing her suitcase as she went. She started off at a run towards the door, impatient to get started on the journey. As she travelled, dragging the heavy suitcase, she realised she might not be able to run quite as fast as she'd anticipated. _'Should I have really packed all that stuff?' _she thought. But only for a moment, as girls are girls and you just can't pack too much! She justified it, by thinking; _'They'll come in useful.'_ She stopped, grabbed a luggage trolley and set off again. Checking in, she felt an off-putting wave of butterflies flutter in her stomach. This probably showed, as the air hostess looked at her for a moment and nodded.

"Going to meet him, then?" Sophie stared at her.

"I'm sorry?" she glared at her suspiciously. The woman laughed.

"You can tell from your face!" she giggled, "Excited but nervous,"

Sophie smiled and felt herself warm to the woman.

"Yes, I am actually," she blushed, "We're meeting for a rom- I mean, a business trip in Florence,"

The woman chuckled, obviously having sussed her out. "Well, good luck- if you know what I mean…" and passed her the boarding ticket. Sophie thanked her, and ran off to board the plane. She was going to Florence!

Meanwhile, on a plane from America, Robert told himself to relax. _'Its only a week,' _he thought, steadying himself, _'It's not like there will be any romance…' _he calmly thought, never once believing it. He took a gulp of 'Rescue Remedy'. He was going to have to be as calm as possible on this particular plane ride.

Suddenly, the plane began to jerk, shaking Robert up and down. His heart seemed to flip upside down. _'We're going to die' _he thought, _'Please don't make me die, God. Just this one trip… just this one chance of love' _he sighed, his heart sinking almost as fast as the plane seemed to be. The air hostess calmly stood up. "I'm sorry; we seem to be going through some turbulence." Robert nearly hada heart attack. _'Turbulence?' _he gulped, telling himself that all that he was in was just a jerky box… no need to panic… its just a box… he swallowed. _'Just a jerky little box, suspended at thousands of feet, just a really small box…' _he worked hard to get rid of the nervousness that always haunted him in small spaces. Just in time, the rescue remedy seemed to do the trick. He fell asleep quickly, the plane rocking violently through the stormy skies.

When he woke up, they were landing and everyone was fine. Robert felt like a fool. "Turbulence," he muttered under his breath, "The next time I believe one of those air hostesses will be the day that pigs fly," He couldn't believe that he had thought that the plane was small, looking at the colossal plane. Suddenly, he thought of Sophie. He hoped their relationship would go well- he really loved her, he realised now. He wanted to settle down- have a family, find love. Looking back, he realised that there had been way too much turbulence in Robert Langdon's life.


	5. Fun in Florence

Sophie leapt down those aeroplane stairs as if it were a race, hastily apologizing to the people she knocked as she ran. She grabbed her suitcase from the luggage carousel and felt a surge of adrenaline hit her. She was here! Now all she had to do was wait for Robert. She scanned the airport, looking closely for Robert. He would not be hard to miss, a handsome, athletic man. Then, at the other end of the gate, she saw a familiar face. Robert! She was just about ready to run to him, but she stopped, a funny feeling that felt a lot like nerves hitting her. Sophie Neveu was no quitter, so she ignored these. She ran towards him, yelling "Robert!" then he saw her, and he came over, a delighted look on his face.

She flung her arms around him and kissed him passionately, feeling truly happy again. She looked up adoringly into his sparkling blue eyes and smiled. "I have missed you so much!" she relaxed into his strong arms and he kissed her.

"Me too," he said, with genuine emotion in his eyes. Sophie, then realising that this was neither the time nor the place for public displays of affection, turned businesslike. "Right," she said, straightening her skirt, "We better get going then," Robert looked sad to let go of her, but he did and set off. Sophie looked at him with a glint in her olive eyes. _'Don't worry Robert. Plenty of time for that later' _she thought. Then, grabbing his hand, they walked together to the car they were renting for the week.

It was a convertible. Sophie smiled. Ever since she was small she had wished to go in a convertible and pose at passer-by's. Giggling, she jumped into the passenger seat, after grabbing her suitcase from Robert and stuffing it into the boot (which she did with great difficulty) and cranked up the radio.

Robert looked at her with awe. _'Where does she get her energy from?' _he thought, admiring the woman who he had met only a month ago. Laughing, he climbed in next to her. Sophie scowled at the radio. She grinned. "Just Italian singing,' she laughed and made a face, clearly not impressed with the music. Robert turned the music off, and for a while they were silent, Robert concentrating on the road. Sophie just sat there, staring at him. _'Hmm…' _she pondered, _'He looks good behind the wheel…' _she blushed at this thought, and began to hum. Robert usually found people humming incredibly annoying, but from Sophie it was cute. He turned to her when they were stuck in a traffic jam and laughed. "Eyes on the road, Mr. Langdon…" she teased, obviously flirting with him. Robert had to admit, it was working. He sighed, "Sorry, I just couldn't look at anything but you," Sophie went bright scarlet, a chuffed expression on her soft face. "Oh, really…" she replied, fluttering her long lashes, "I wonder why…" she locked eyes with him, a playful glint in her green eyes. Robert felt an overwhelming urge to just carry her off there and then, but composed himself. _'God damn it, how far away is this hotel?' _He thought impatiently. He tried to carry on driving, only concentrating on the road, but he could feel Sophie's burning gaze on him. He fought the urge to pull over and kiss her, by speeding on. Sophie relaxed in her seat, mind filled with all the things they could do together in Florence, and half an hour later they were there.

After they'd checked in to the luxurious hotel (5 star suites) they explored the room. Sophie gasped when she saw the full splendour of it. It was all in cream, and the room was bathed in a gorgeous honey coloured light from the curtains. There was a bathroom, with power shower, toilet and sink. The main focal point of the room, Sophie was delighted to see, was a huge king size bed. She gave an evil grin as she saw it. Robert was still taking in the room when he turned to her, a puzzled expression on his handsome face. "I'm sure I ordered a room with twin beds…" he said, confused, "I'll go down to the lobby to check it out," Suddenly, Sophie put a finger to his lips to silence him and pulled his face towards hers. His heart skipped a beat as he realised how close they were. She grinned slightly. "Its ok, Robert," her eyes widened innocently, "I'm sure we'll… manage," she smiled seductively, obviously enjoying keeping Robert waiting. Robert reeled, full of desire for her. Just as he leant in, she walked briskly over to the balcony and was looking at the view. _'Damn it' _Robert thought, _'Playing hard to get,' _he smiled slightly, sensing this would be all part of the fun. He joined her and put his arm around her. He had to admit, this truly was a room with a view. From the large balcony there was a breath taking view of all of Florence. Cobbled streets, little cottages- you could even see little matchstick figures of people talking in the streets. It was magical.

Robert was jolted out of his daydreams by Sophie squeezing his hand. "Come on," she whispered quietly, "Let's go eat, I'm starved!" Robert quickly started scrabbling around for a place to change in private, but then Sophie took her top off in front of him. He knew it looked wrong, but he couldn't help but stare. _'So much for privacy,'_ he thought. He supposed that if they were sharing a room it didn't matter. He started to get changed, looking flustered. When Sophie had finished, she came over to him and kissed him long and hard. "Are you coming?" she asked, trying not to stare at the fact that he hadn't got a top on. She couldn't help but notice that for a man of his years, he was surprisingly fit. She couldn't complain. As they entered the lift, Sophie noticed that Robert was uncomfortable again. They were alone in the lift, so slowly she leaned towards him and kissed him intensely. His senses tingled all over, and Robert relaxed suddenly. Just her touch made him go numb, and all too soon it was over and they were on the ground floor. He smiled bashfully at her, and holding hands they made their way out of the lobby doors.

Sophie felt like she was on cloud nine as they walked through the charming streets of Florence, with Robert's arms around her. Girls shot Robert interested looks, and Sophie shot them dagger eyes as if to say – 'He's mine!' She couldn't be happier. Robert turned around, clearly in awe of the beautiful surroundings. "So…" he squeezed her hand, "What do you want to do?" she pondered for a moment. "Pizza would be nice," she finished. He put his arm tighter around her. "Then pizza it is!" he announced, laughing. They eventually decided on a cosy little place in the centre. They sat down and looked at the menus. Robert decided on mozzarella. He couldn't stand spicy food. Sophie chose pepperoni, and looked surprise when she heard he didn't like spicy, hot food. She giggled- "I like a bit of spice in my life!" and together they chowed down to their delicious meals. When they were done, it was already dark. They paid the waiter quickly, and headed out hand in hand towards the beautiful river Arno. He looked at the wonderful city around him and thought that however beautiful the place they were was, nothing would ever be a match against Sophie. Her soft face subtly illuminated by the full moonlight, he felt as if he had at last found what he had been searching for. "Sophie?" he asked softly. "Yes," she replied thoughtfully. "I actually have something for you, Sophie," he said, reaching into his pocket. As he handed Sophie the beautiful diamond watch, she thought she might burst into tears, she was so happy. "Thank you so much Robert!" she kissed him lovingly on the cheek. "It's really beautiful!" He beamed, happy she liked it. They stood silently for a while, enjoying each other's company, until a big yawn from Sophie broke the silence.

"Better get back to the hotel, I suppose…" she said, sounding anything but tired.

"O.K then, Sophie." he smiled at her. "It's been a long day," together they walked together towards the hotel.

Sophie cuddled close to him. Contrary to the hot days, it was really cold at night in Florence. She felt like singing again, for the second time that day. They kissed all the way up in the lift… then they entered the room. Robert started to get his pyjamas on, whilst Sophie headed towards the shower. She got in, and 'accidentally' left the door a tad ajar… _'What the heck' _she thought. _'Its fun to flirt,' _she relaxed as she let the warm jets of water pass over her. It had been a long day… but she was certainly not tired yet. Sophie got on with washing herself and this time actually did start to sing.

Robert sat on the soft, downy bed, his head stuck in his latest mystery novel. He wanted to laugh as he heard Sophie's accented voice start belting out a French song he didn't recognise. _'Just like me,' _he thought, smiling. Just then, he saw the door open a bit more. Out stepped Sophie, honestly looking like a goddess in the cream towel round her and her lush burgundy hair falling tousled and damp round her shoulders. Robert couldn't help but just stare at her. He decided to look away to make her feel more comfortable when suddenly Sophie's towel fell down. Now, Robert, being a red blooded man and all, couldn't not look then. He could tell that this time it was no accident- but started to busy himself as he realised he must look stupid just stood there staring. She came and sat next to him on the bed- towel up this time but only just- and softly placed her hand on his shoulder. This time Robert couldn't handle it any longer. He kissed her again, a kiss with more passion than he had ever kissed before. She returned the kiss, and they knew that the time was right. Together they slowly fell down on to the bed… and let's just say that Robert Langdon had the best night of his life in that hotel room in Florence…


	6. Confessions of love

Sophie yawned as the first rays of morning light sifted through the blinds of the room. She looked at the sleeping Robert and hugged him close. Last night had been the most magical of her life. She looked at the clock on the dresser and frowned. _6:30 am. _She wondered why she had woken up so early. She soon realised that her phone was vibrating softly next to it. Her eyes fell on caller ID. _Fache. _Feeling awkward, she answered it. "Umm… hello?" she answered. She felt strange talking on the phone lying there with Robert. "Sophie?" he answered, also sounding uncomfortable. She was puzzled to hear him call her Sophie. Usually he just barked 'Neveu!' or 'Agent Neveu!' and he never rang her cell phone for anything other than to yell at her. She grew suspicious. Something was up. "Yes…" she asked slowly, feeling strange answering phone calls in bed with someone. "Make it quick, I'm erm… it's a bit of a bad time to call…" she said nervously. He cleared his throat and she waited for him to reply. "It's just… umm… I don't know how to say this but…" he hesitated. Sophie thought it was quite funny to hear her ex-boss, known as the bull, sounding nervous. She felt intrigued to find out what he was calling about. "Its just erm… well… are you doing anything on Friday night?" he asked anxiously. "I've been thinking a lot about you, Sophie, and I really think I might… well be rather fond of you, so to speak." She paused, taken aback at this news.

She nearly giggled as she thought how ironic it was; here was Fache, confessing his love for her when she was in bed with none other than the ex 'criminal' that he chased around Europe wanted for murder. She hesitated, trying to think of a good reply to this. "Erm…" she started slowly. _Well done, _she thought, cursing silently. _Good comeback, Sophie. _She started again. "I'm sorry… but I can't." She felt awful, sensing his disappointment from the other end of the phone line. "I'm…I'm kind of seeing someone right now…" She could hear him trying to regain his composure. She could tell that he was mortified, but hey, it couldn't be helped. She _was _seeing someone after all; it wasn't like she'd lied to him. _I just left out a little detail that he knew this guy, _she decided. Sophie decided to try getting him off of the line as soon as possible. "I'm moving to America," she said. _Well done, Sophie. _She felt like kicking herself. _Good way to let a guy down gently. _She could tell that this was not the news he wanted to hear. "So… I guess I resign from DCJP." He reeled. "I'm sorry, masseur Fache…but I really have to go now," she said in her determined manner. "Au revoir," she said and hung up the phone.

She nearly laughed at what had just happened. Sophie and Fache? It just wouldn't work. She turned off the phone, and snuggled deeper next to Robert. He was sound asleep, and rightly so, she realised as she let out a loud yawn. The past day (and night) had been well, very eventful and they had every reason to be tired! She lay there for a while, her head on his chest, listening to the rise and fall of his heavy breathing. She had never been more relaxed and peaceful in her life. He stirred in his sleep and rolled over, his arms around her waist now. She smiled, blushing at their position. If someone had told her 6 weeks ago that in 6 weeks time she would be in a 5 star hotel in Florence, legs wrapped around a Harvard professor of symbology in a large four poster bed, she'd have probably slapped them. She had never met anyone quite as amazing as him. She looked at him and grinned. He looked so cute when he slept. She felt her hair and realised that it probably resembled a crow's nest. (It wasn't as if she'd really had a lot of time to dry it!) She lay there in her own little world, thinking. She really was lucky, she realised. She'd had good and bad times- but she knew that everything had finally worked out and this was just the beginning of the good times.

What seemed like an age passed before Sophie decided that they better get up. She gently tapped him for a while, softly calling, "Robert, its time to get up!" When this didn't work, she decided to try a different method. She kissed him on the cheek lovingly and waited a moment. This got him up. He opened his eyes slowly.

The first thing Robert saw was Sophie's beautiful face in front of him. _'What a lovely way to start the day,' _he thought. He sat up and kissed her again. _I never want to get out of this bed, not ever; _he decided and snuggled in to her. She laughed and gently pushed him off. "No, Robert," she grinned and sat up. "I know its lovely here together but you know we will have to get up at some point!" he groaned at sat up too. "O.K, O.K, you win," he said reluctantly, "I'm coming." Sophie (also extremely reluctant) detached her self from Robert and the warm bed and headed for the shower. When they had both got ready they headed outside. "So," Robert said, slipping his hand in hers, "What do you want to do?" Sophie thought for a moment. She had actually forgotten that they had to fill today doing something- she had been too lost in the fact that she was with Robert in a romantic city etc.

"Umm… we could always go see that play that's on show tonight… but I don't know about today," she gave him a penetrating stare. "What do you think?" He gulped, lost in her eyes. He stumbled with his words, overwhelmed with how darn lucky he was to have her. "Well... umm… we could erm… well we could go to a museum…" he glanced at the stern glare she gave him when he mentioned this and backtracked a bit. "Or we could…" Sophie stopped him, delicately placing a hand on his shoulder. He froze for a moment and found himself once again getting lost in those big green eyes of hers. She carried on. "We could just have a long romantic walk around the city," _Hmmm. _He thought, a grin creeping up on him. _I like that idea a bit more… _He composed himself to reply (in what he hoped was a manly, whatever kind of voice, but probably sounded more like he'd just swallowed a balloon full of helium) "Yeah, sure, we could take a walk," Sophie smiled, a delighted expression on her face. "But first," she said, hand in his, "I'm starving, let's go get some breakfast!" They headed towards a little place on the corner. With Robert's strong arm enveloped around her, Sophie was glad that he was chosen to protect her. _And I'm sure he will… _she mused, leaning close to him as they entered the quaint shop. They ordered waffles and sat down.

Sophie eyed the waffles and laughed out loud. They were in heart shapes. They looked adorable, but she couldn't imagine anything cornier. Robert took in the heart shapes and blushed crimson. "I… I didn't order them like this," he stammered, mortified. She laughed and gave him a playful shove. "It's all right, Robert, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy," she paused and took a large bite of waffle and swooned. "Oh yeah, and if I'm with waffles," she added jokily, tucking in to the delicious, creamy dish. Robert seemed to be pleased too. After that they started their long walk of the city. They were silent for most of it, only interrupted by the odd mini lecture from Robert about various landmarks and statues. She made a show of rolling her eyes and looking bored when he did it, but really she loved it when he 'taught' her. "Robert?" she murmured when they had walked about a mile or so. She would usually be tired by now but she seemed to have a bouncy spring in her step today. "I can see that you are a brilliant teacher," she beamed at him. _What a sweet thing to say, _Robert thought, grinning and squeezing her small hand. After they had seen more or less everything it was actually getting dark. _That was quick, _Sophie thought impatiently. She wanted the week to never end. Every passing hour made her realise that in a couple of day's time, she would be returning to Paris without him. She swept the thought out of her mind and concentrated on the present. "Do you want to go back to the centre and grab something to eat?" Sophie asked him.

"Sure," Robert said, and together they went out to a café and ordered their food. Afterwards, they went outside. They didn't really do a whole lot, but they just walked and walked, enjoying the company of each other. They went back to the hotel, so tired after walking so far, that they just fell asleep in each other's arms with their clothes on.

The next morning Sophie sighed. _One more day closer to going home, _she thought sadly. They had planned to go see a museum today (Sophie made out she didn't want to, but was actually thrilled that she would be listening to him explaining art to her) Together they wandered the lonely corridors of the museum, looking at masterpiece after masterpiece. Robert would have usually been enthralled by these fine treasures; but something told him that nothing would ever enthral him more than Sophie now. He loved how she questioned everything- every painting she thought had some implicit meaning- she always wanted to know it. He loved how her accented voice echoed around as she asked him a question. He loved her. After seeing the museum- which was huge, so it took them a while- they drove out to the coast. They went through their usual process of Robert asking Sophie what she wanted to do, and her replying, and then went shopping. Robert was not too keen on the whole idea of shopping; he was a man that only shopped when he really had to, but he went along, just glad that he was here with Sophie. Sophie, on the other hand, obviously was not a woman who only shopped when she had to. Like most other girls, she had a passion for shopping, and they must have spent all afternoon in about twenty shops!

The week flew by. Shopping trips, city walks… and quite a bit of kissing…they never wanted it to end. But unfortunately, like all good things, it had to end. Forlornly looking at the breathtaking view, Robert resigned himself to packing. _At least she's coming to Harvard next month, _Robert thought, feeling a glimmer of happiness welling inside of him. He wondered what college life would be like with Sophie there. What would the students say? He didn't care what the students would say. All he could think about was that they would finally be together, no interruptions. He imagined Sophie stood at the front of a classroom, teaching cryptology and maths to students. _They'll love her at Harvard, _he thought, smiling, _I bet the boys will too, _thinking of dozens of college guys following Sophie around. He felt proud that she had chosen him over everyone else. She could have got any man she liked. _But she wants me! _he thought happily. And with that, he started packing next to Sophie, trying to keep his mind off the fact that he wouldn't see her beautiful face for a while.

At the airport later, Sophie thought she might cry. Looking at his handsome face, she kissed him with all the love she had in her. She couldn't believe that she had to wait a whole month before they could live together at Harvard. As she heard a chirpy voice over the intercom inform her that her plane was boarding, she leant against his strong figure. "I love you, Robert," she mumbled in to him, tears beginning to flow"I mean it,"

Robert Langdon was a man who never cried. But even he fought back the tears as they shared a final teary embrace.


	7. A new life

One month later…

Sophie strained to see out of the aeroplane window to marvel the view of America far below them. She had been on the plane for many hours, and, being a very impatient person, was desperate to get off. However, the journey had literally flown by, as Sophie's head was too full of thoughts for her to really be bored. _I'm moving to America, _she thought, still finding it hard to comprehend. Never in a million years had she ever considered moving to America when she was younger, and she felt like it was just a dream. _Am I really doing this? _she found herself thinking. She had only met Robert a few months ago, but she knew in her heart that this was the right thing to do. So many things had happened to her recently- and although she knew that her life had been turned upside down, without being able to do the job and things she used to do- Sophie was glad that they had happened. It was a shame that such a tragedy had brought her and Robert together, but she sensed that if they had met any other way, they wouldn't share the relationship they had now. _I wonder if they'll hate me at Harvard, _she thought worriedly. _They might make fun of me because I'm French. _She felt uneasy for a minute, but then remembered that Robert wouldn't let that happen.

Lost in her own little world for a while, she was startled to hear the captain telling them that they were about to land. They had it repeated in many languages, including French, but she chose to listen to the English one. It was the way she had been brought up, and now, as a member of the Priory, she supposed she might as well start using _'la lingua pura'. _Doing up her seatbelt,she nervously fingered the beautiful diamond watch around her wrist and felt a knot in her stomach. _Will it be one of those awful times where everything is awkward? _she wondered. _What if he doesn't like me anymore… _she thought, but she couldn't linger on this for long as at that moment, the plane started to land. Sucking her boiled sweet, she cursed quietly as she felt the awful feeling that was when they were descending.

Eager to get going, she bounded down the stairs again as she always did. She looked all around, grabbed her heavy suitcase and set off. Just then, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and smiled. "Robert!" she called, her voice noticeably shaky after seeing him for the first time in a month. He turned round, a cute look of confusion on his face as he looked around. She grinned, happy to see him again. She playfully grabbed him around the waist and jumped up. "Boo!" she shouted, tickling him. He turned around, grinning broadly now. "Sophie!" he said, lifting her up and giving her a very passionate kiss. Together they made their way out of the airport. Robert, always the perfect gentleman, carried her bags for her. Sophie thanked him, but her voice was hardly any more than a whisper as she tried to take in all the things going on. American voices chimed in all around her, and everything was really different to what she was used to.

"So…" Sophie started mischievously. "I'm eager to see the inner lair of one of the most… intriguing people around…" she finished, clearly referring to the Boston article on him. _Damn, _Robert thought. _Where on earth did she get that from? _

He smiled and shrugged it off. "I only let… very _special _people into my 'lair'…"

Sophie smiled. _He thought she was special! _Although she was used to boys liking her, whenever Robert complemented her it sent a shiver up her spine- and butterflies usually followed in its wake. They got in the car, and Sophie smiled at him. Robert's house wasn't far away, and they didn't really engage in any proper conversation until they arrived. Sophie lingered on the threshold, a new excitement gripping her. _We're moving in together. This is getting serious. _

Sophie finally entered. When she stepped inside, she realised that it matched Robert to a tee. It had a distinctly rustic feel to it, crammed with hundreds of artefacts Robert had collected over the years. She grinned. It was most definitely different to how she would have it on her own, but she thought it was sweet and she could definitely live with it. "So what do you think?" Robert asked her, his face keen as he held her hand. Sophie grinned. "Well… it could do with… a woman's touch…" she laughed. "But I'm sure it will be fine," Robert smiled, obviously relieved that she approved of it.

She went inside, plonked down her bags and grinned as she took in the surroundings. She walked around for a while, giving herself a little mini tour. Nothing happened for a while until Robert chimed in with a random question. "Sophie?" he enquired. "Do you think in French?" Sophie was puzzled. She had never really thought about this before. "Well yeah, I guess," she answered slowly. She paused. "Why do you ask?"

Robert smiled. "I just wondered if it was hard for you to speak English all the time," he said. She grinned at him. "Of course its not," she replied. "I mean sure, I think in French, but it only takes me a second to change it to English," she laughed. "I mean, I have grown up speaking 'la lingua pura' after all!" Robert smiled again. "I was just thinking that I might try learn a bit more French," he told her, a glint in his eye. "I might need some help…" She laughed at his face. "Oooh, I'll help!" she said. He gave her a kiss and carried her bags upstairs. "I would like no other person to help me," he chuckled. "Au revoir, for a minute," he joked. Sophie grinned, happier than ever, as she looked around at her new home.

Robert came downstairs and squeezed her shoulders. "Hi," he said. "You should get some rest. It's your first day tomorrow, and you want to be well rested," Sophie kissed him gently and yawned. "I suppose you're right," she replied reluctantly. "I'll need my beauty sleep!" He hugged her tight. "You don't need to be any more beautiful than you are," he answered her. They kissed goodnight and she headed upstairs. When Robert went up to bed he found Sophie, sound asleep on the bed. He got in next to her and he couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face. "Goodnight, Princess." he said, and kissed her very gently on her sleeping face.

When Sophie woke up it was quite late. _I guess I was more tired than I thought, _she realised. The first thing she saw was Robert. A bolt of excitement went through her. _First day! _she thought. _I can't wait! _She dived out of bed and grabbed her outfit that she had spent ages on before she came. Classy yet conservative, she'd decided. She pulled them on, gulped down some cereal (she'd have preferred croissants, but she decided that the American cereal would have to do) and ran to find Robert. "Come on!" she called. "Let's go!" Robert smiled down at her and checked his watch. "Sophie," he said patiently. "We don't need to set off until another half an hour!" He laughed. Sophie's cheeks reddened and she grinned. "I can't help it!" she cried, laughing. "I'm just anxious I guess because it's my first day,"

"I know how you feel," Robert chimed in. "So we're setting off early,"

In the car on the way to Harvard, Sophie's stomach was doing somersaults again. she was silent for a while, but when they were nearly there she spoke up. "Robert?" she asked nervously. Robert turned to her. "Yes, Sophie?" Sophie gulped. "Will any of the staff and students… know about what happened at the Louvre?"

"No," Robert reassured her. "I gave a speech to the whole of the college, and they all think that we were working with the police to try lure out the killer." He grinned slightly. "They'll probably think you're really cool," he finished, stifling a laugh.

She looked at him in surprise. "Why would they think that?" she asked him, puzzled.

"Because you went on a car-chase backwards through the streets of Paris, cooperated with the police… basically all the guys will think you're cool after you've done all this 'action adventure' stuff,"

She smiled, understanding now. Robert shifted position awkwardly and coughed.

"And… erm… I think I know another reason why the boys will think that you're cool…" he trailed off. Sophie blushed as red as the rouge lipstick she wore. "You don't have to worry, Robert," she pushed him gently. "I have no intention of listening to the college kids,"

Robert laughed and slowed the car. "We're here!" he said, knowing that Sophie would be bounding across the car park before he could say anything else. She had a familiar excited expression on her pretty face that was really infectious, and even the fact that he was going back to work couldn't sadden him now.

Sophie Neveu, however, was surprisingly conservative in these situations. She calmly walked, her gait brisk but casual, and strode towards the main building. _So much for first day nerves, _Robert thought and hurried after her. Robert had already sorted out what she did when they arrived, so all Sophie needed to do was to go right to her first class straight away. They paused hesitantly by the door and an awkward moment passed. Robert scanned the surroundings- no nosy students, a good sign- and kissed her quickly. "Good luck," he said quietly. "If you need me, I'll be in my office,"

She hugged him and looked up at him for a moment. "I will meet you in the… cafeteria, is it?" she asked him, her olive eyes on him.

"It's a date," Robert joked, and with that, Sophie headed inside, a tower of determination. Robert watched her for a minute, and then went to his office.

Pacing the corridor outside what was to be her new classroom, Sophie was hesitant to go in. Although she was used to these awkward moments, when she imagined the rows of students all waiting inside, she felt really nervous. _Just be nice, _Sophie thought slowly, _and everything will be fine. _Pushing these thoughts out of her mind, she strode into the classroom and immediately felt like striding straight out again. With a wash of nerves and excitement she turned to the class.

"Good morning, everyone," she said shakily, building her confidence, "My name is Miss Neveu, and I will be your new teacher for this year," She smiled at them all, almost at ease now. "I hope we'll have lots of fun in this class together,"

As she saw several pupils beaming at her after she had taught them some basics, she gasped a sigh of relief. _I've been accepted, _she thought, smiling. She went on to teach the rest of her very first lesson at Harvard, and as she watched the look of achievement and pride on every student's face when they got it right, she realised that she had taken the right path.


	8. Matchmaking mischeif

Sophie had been teaching at Harvard for nearly a week now, and she really loved it. Funnily enough, no word had been said about her endeavour with Robert in Paris, but she supposed that there would be rumours. As yet, nobody had meddled with it- but that was when she still didn't know Stacey…

Stacey was the stereotypical American teenager. Cheerleader, peppy voice, constant smile and the most popular girl in the school. Stacey, however, was no dumb blonde. She could work things out pretty easily, and so most teachers loved her. Although, she had one weakness- matchmaking. If there was a pair who she thought had chemistry- that was it. They'd be together by the end of the day. And she was constantly cooking up possible romances with the teachers… and her guesses of who went together were usually correct.

As Sophie was just taking the register for her cryptology class, she was interrupted by a noise of somebody entering the room. The girl had long blonde hair and perfectly applied makeup. "Sorry I'm late, Miss" she said, her voice ringing clearly across the large room with a hint of a southern accent. "I got caught up in the study hall,"

Sophie looked at her suspiciously. She looked genuine. "Okay, but make sure you're on time next lesson," she said, allowing her to sit down. "What's your name?"

Stacey looked around smugly at her peers, and Sophie had an uneasy feeling that she was about to be given a life story. Stacey cleared her throat.

"I'm Stacey Jones," she began. "Head of the cheerleading squad, the ballet club, the dancing team and the pep rally committee," she recited, obviously having told this reel a million times. She looked up, a bored expression on her face.

Sophie made a note of the name then smiled. "So, Stacey, you can go sit down next to your friends there if you like," she said, deciding it would be better not to make enemies with a girl like Stacey. She beamed at Sophie. "Gee, thanks miss!" she said and sat down. She was sure she had seen her teacher somewhere before…

Robert was in his office later that day when Stacey Jones knocked on his door. "Come in!" he shouted to her. He put down the work he was marking and smiled at Stacey. "What do you want, Stacey?" he asked her. Stacey smiled innocently and blushed.

"I was just wondering if you could help me with my symbology knowledge," she smiled her winning smile. "I really want to get some more revision in for the test tomorrow," he grinned, glad that there was at least one student who cared about their symbology exam. "When would you like me to help you?" he asked her.

"I was thinking maybe today after class," she said, shrugging. Robert thought about it. "Sorry, I can't tutor you today, Stacey, I'm erm…" He trailed off helplessly. He was supposed to be going out for a romantic evening with Sophie that night.

Stacey put on a look of sadness and pouted. "You can't spare one minute with your favourite pupil?" she joked. "I hear you teachers don't have much of a social life," she said giggling. Robert shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Erm… I'm sorry but I'm- meeting… somebody," he sighed. _Damn. How obvious had he just made it that he had plans with a woman? _

Stacey grinned broadly, her matchmaking skills itching to find out who this 'someone' was. She stood grinning evilly for a moment then decided to take the plunge. "Who is this…" she paused, "'someone'?" she asked innocently, knowing she sounded nosy but too interested to care. "It's a girl, right?" she said, knowing that he'd cracked. Robert turned crimson. "Well… in a manner of speaking… yes, she is a woman…" Stacey felt like jumping up in delight at this. For her whole school career at Harvard, she had been waiting for someone to have a romance with poor Professor Langdon, and she wasn't going to let this one happen without her knowledge. "Oooh, what's her name?" she asked excitedly, knowing inwardly that Professor Langdon was about as comfortable with this as someone would be lying on a bed of nails.

"Her name is Sophie," he said slowly, but Stacey could here his voice falter slightly.

She laughed. "From your face I take it she's a little more than a business partner?"

He blushed again, now more of a scarlet colour. "Well…" he hesitated, trying to stay professional with his student. _Damn it, Robert. You love her. Why not talk about her?_

"Yeah, I guess she is… she's a lot more than a business partner," he sighed, realising he was probably the envy of half of the French population to have Sophie.

Stacey sighed. She was a sucker for romance. She was dying to meet this Sophie, she realised suddenly. _I guess my matchmaking instinct is still there, _she thought with a giggle. She paused. "Where did you meet her?" she asked, her blue eyes staring at him fervently. Robert bit his lip. "In Paris," he said nervously. "It was kind of like fate, I suppose…" They stood there for a while, until Stacey looked at her watch (pink and sparkly, like the rest of her wardrobe) and grinned. "I gotta go to crypto class now, Professor!" she headed towards the door. "I hope your 'meeting' goes well…" she called as she left the classroom. Robert sighed and flopped down at his desk. _Kids, _he thought, shaking his head. _What on earth goes on in their heads? _He grinned and reluctantly got on with his marking.

The next day Sophie was taking her usual cryptology class. This time, Stacey arrived on time, looking eager. "Today we are going to learn the Atbash Cipher."

The students looked up, perplexed. They had obviously never heard of the strangely named cryptology method. Sophie carried on, explaining what it was. "It's a basic substitution cipher, based on the Hebrew alphabet."

They listened to Sophie intently, until she had explained it all. For a while they just sat there, looking just as lost as they started. Then, suddenly, their faces lit up in understanding, enlightened now. "In Atbash, the answer you get is usually in ancient text, as the cipher dates back to 500BC."

The class nodded and she carried on. "Today we are going to try writing our names in the Atbash cipher. You get the root of your name, and use Atbash on it to get your name in Atbash." She gave out small pieces of paper. "I'm going to do my name, too," she said. "You can work out each other's names if you don't already know them, and you can work out mine,"

Sophie headed back to her desk as the pupils started their work. As she copied out _Bapvometh, _she felt a pang of sadness as she remembered her grandfather. _He had encrypted the keystone with my name. The grand master of the Priory of Sion. _She shook the thoughts from her head and faced the class as she heard somebody coming in the room. It was Robert. She knew that she lived with him now, but she couldn't stop the butterflies and the somersaults her heart went through every time she saw him. She felt her cheeks grow hot and looked down. "Erm… what do you want, Ro- I mean, Professor Langdon?" She caught his eye and they both looked down, cheeks flushed. "I… I just wanted a word with Tom Smith, if that's okay…" She smiled slightly. "Of course it is," she choked out. Robert smiled and left with Smith. Sophie went back to her desk, wishing she could go with him.

Meanwhile, Stacey was watching intently. _Something _had happened just then between the two teachers. The sudden change in Miss Neveu's skin tone was no coincidence either. She had long since finished her Atbash name, and was just daydreaming. _I wonder what she's daydreaming about… _Stacey thought giggling to herself.

Then inspiration struck. Professor Langdon met Miss Neveu in Paris when they worked with the police. Could she be Sophie? There had definitely been something between them when he came in. She wouldn't be surprised if she was Sophie.

_We'll find out soon, _Stacey thought to herself as she saw that Miss Neveu had written her Atbash name on the board. _Bapvometh. _Interesting. She quickly got to work, and she soon had the answer. Stacey had a sharp mind, and when she saw the answer to the Atbash cipher, she almost fell off her chair.

_Shvpya_

_Sofya_

_Sophia_

_SOPHIE. _

Stacey smiled. The famous matchmaker of Harvard College had once again proved that her guesses were always correct.


	9. Ready for a new princess?

Resting contentedly on Robert's strong shoulder, Sophie was nearly dozing off. The news of their relationship had obviously spread like wild fire across the school, but surprisingly, more kids seemed happy for them than gossiped about it. They were travelling to Roslin again to see Sophie's grandmother and her brother. Sophie couldn't wait to see them, but also couldn't wait for the school holidays to end so she could get back to teaching again. Suspended at thousands of feet above the ground in the massive plane, Sophie felt like she was in another world. She had been seeing Robert for almost 6 months now- and although she told herself it was stupid- she often found herself dreaming of wedding bells ringing…

Meanwhile, next to her, Robert was not feeling so content. He had been nervous since the moment he had started thinking about it. His hands felt clammy and his whole body was shaking. _I'm going to ask her, _he thought, trembling. _As soon as we get to Roslin, I am actually going to propose to the most gorgeous, beautiful, sensitive girl in the world. _Robert gulped. _What if she says no? _he thought worriedly, and carried on quivering like a little mouse. His shaking had obviously made an effect on Sophie, who gave him a concerned squeeze of his hand and turned to face him.

"Are you okay, Robert darling?" she asked, her French voice echoing softly around him. "Are you scared of flying?" _I'm happy as long as I'm with you… _Robert felt like saying but he stopped himself.

"I'm… fine," he choked out eventually. Sophie nodded and settled back down. He put his arm around her and felt a large yawn escape him. He decided he should take a nap. _I'll just rest my eyes… _he thought groggily.

The next thing Robert felt was somebody softly shaking him. He opened his eyes. _Foggy. _He rubbed his eyes and the fog sifted away. Sophie was laughing at him, her eyes sparkling. "I thought you said you were just resting your eyes!" she giggled, helping him sit up. "We've landed!" she said, grinning.

Robert sat up and kissed her gently. She looked surprised but pleased, a light blush showing for a moment on her face.

"What was that for?" she said flirtatiously. He squeezed her hand, which had somehow found its way into his and laughed. "Celebratory kiss," he said. "We can make it a tradition for whenever we land somewhere," he said.

Sophie grinned as the other passengers started to disembark. "Well, in that case, Mr Langdon, you can be looking forward to a lot more plane trips if that's how I'm going to be greeted!" she laughed, undoing her seatbelt. Robert watched her, a wry smile creeping up his face. He could always tell she was in a flirtatious mood when she called him Mr Langdon. His worries gone for the moment, he followed her off the plane and collected their luggage.

The taxi journey was only a short one and they were soon making their way up the now familiar path up to the chapel. Sophie's grandmother was waiting, and she quickly enveloped Sophie in a hug. Robert waited patiently for them to finish catching up with each other, understanding that after nearly 30 years of not seeing her granddaughter she must be protective of her. Robert's French was very poor, but as they excitedly greeted each other he could understand snippets eg. Robert, Sophie, love, America, Harvard…

Robert felt really happy all of a sudden as he fingered the delicate ring in his pocket.

_I'm going to get married to Sophie Neveu! _he thought excitedly. Before he could think any more, Marie had pulled him in for a hug too. _I guess the French are more direct than I thought, _was all Robert thought. He hugged her.

"Erm… bonjour!" Robert exclaimed as Marie kissed him and Sophie. She looked over at her granddaughter and mouthed something to her that Robert couldn't make out. Sophie blushed and pulled Robert away with her. "Umm…grandmère? Sophie started tentatively. "Could Robert and I go for a walk please?" she finished, pleading eyes appearing promptly on her already flushed face. She cleared her throat. "We would like to- umm- reminisce kind of…" Marie clearly saw what her granddaughter was hinting. She smiled craftily and nodded.

"Okay," she said. "I understand you both want to- feel some of the wonderful atmosphere here…" She gave a little grin, knowing exactly what Sophie intended. She looked old and frail now, but Marie Chauvel was really just a big kid. Roslin Chapel had to be one of the most romantic spots she knew. _And by what she had heard from Sophie about their last moment there, she could understand why Sophie wanted time alone with him again._ Marie watched Sophie and Robert walking together holding hands and choked back tears. She'd only just met Sophie for the first time in over twenty years, but the protective instinct she had for her was stronger than ever.

Robert and Sophie headed off to the back of the chapel together. The romantic atmosphere was heavy, and the pair were bombarded with memories of the day that they had reached the chapel and the priory- but more so of that special first kiss they had shared outside the chapel that night. Suddenly, they stopped. Coincidently, this was the exact spot where they had kissed all those months ago. Sophie grinned. "This is our spot," she said, looking out on the countryside. "I've reserved it just for us!"

She smiled and hugged him lovingly. "It's funny," she said thoughtfully. "I've lost my grandfather, ran around Europe as a fugitive from my own boss, discovered that I'm going to be hunted for the rest of my life by the church… yet I've found you,"

She felt a lump in her throat. _How on earth had she ended up with this amazing man? _she thought in wonder as she kissed him again. They kissed for a long time, and enjoyed each other's company. Robert cleared his throat nervously. _It was time. _He held Sophie's hands and looked her straight in the eye. _I think I'm going to be sick, _Robert thought as he contemplated what he was going to do. _How is it that I can handle being a fugitive, chased down by an albino monk and do battle with a crippled old knight, yet whenever I look at Sophie my legs turn to jelly? _he pondered as he looked into her deep green eyes.

"Sophie… I love you very very much…" Robert started shakily. Sophie's eyes looked astonished. _Is this really what I think it is? _she thought in awe. The look in Robert's startling blue eyes told her yes.

"I love you more than I have anyone else in my whole life," he said, his voice getting stronger now. "And I would do anything… for you to be my wife," he choked out at last. Sophie's mouth flew open.

"I'm sorry… I was never any good at the whole romance thing…" he said, looking down. _This wasn't how it was meant to go! _was all Robert could think. He watched Sophie's reaction intently, praying that she would say yes.

Sophie couldn't believe that it was happening. She figured she must look slightly stupid just stood there with her mouth hanging open, so she answered. "Yes!" she yelled suddenly, and she flung her arms around him. The relief that Robert felt was overwhelming. He kissed her again, this time slipping the diamond ring on to her finger. They broke apart and Sophie grinned mischievously. "So, Sir Robert…" she said. "Ready for a new princess?"


	10. Celebrations

Sophie ran into the house excitedly. "Grandmere!" she yelled happily, "Grandmere!"

She started to run up the stairs and ran full on into her brother. Taken aback, he took her shoulders and smiled. "Sophie," he said, laughing. "What's all the excitement about?"

Sophie exhaled and grinned. "Adam!" she said. "How are you?"

Adam smiled. "I'm fine," he replied. His voice turned serious. "What I want to know is what's happening with you!"

Sophie laughed and remembered he didn't have any idea what had just happened.

"What I'm yelling about is the fact that… well… Robert and I…we're engaged now!" She excitedly stuck out her ring finger at Adam and he took in the beautiful ring that now took pride of place there.

"That's brilliant!" he cried, hugging her. "Let's go find grandmere and tell her the news!"

Right on cue, Marie turned up at the top of the stairs. "Sophie, Adam?" she asked, concerned. "Is everything okay?" Sophie sprinted up the stairs and flung her arms around her. "I'll take that as a yes!" she added, laughing at the overjoyed Sophie that was now hugging her tight. "What's happened?"

Sophie's eyes shone as she told her what had happened. She started off in English, and as she got more and more excited she slowly went off into French. Little by little, the expression on Marie's weathered face grew into a huge grin. "I'm so happy for you…" she said, feeling a tear roll out of her eye. _Please don't say I'm going to start crying now! _Marie thought. "And personally, I think you made an excellent choice!" she added under her breath in Sophie's ear. The pair started to laugh, and Robert watched on happily.

He couldn't believe how everything had panned out so well for them both. He squeezed Sophie's hand and smiled, feeling like he was on cloud nine. "Let's go down into the kitchen," he suggested, and they headed down.

"You will have the wedding at Roslin, won't you?" Marie asked. "It would be so lovely… we could do so much to make it really special for you…" she trailed off dreamily. Robert could sense that she was already gearing up for Wedding Planner mode.

Sophie smiled slightly. She still couldn't believe it was true.

"But…" Sophie hesitated. "Who will give me away?" she asked sadly. Her wedding day was an occasion she'd always imagined- her father beaming as he walked her up the isle, her mother choking back tears in an oversized hat. She stopped thinking this immediately. It was never going to happen. Marie smiled and squeezed Sophie's hand under the table reassuringly. "I would be honoured to give you away, darling," Marie said gently.

"Now," Marie said, a glint in her green eyes. "Now that you're engaged… I assume that you'll want the double bed now…" she finished mischievously. Sophie groaned and immediately turned a bright pink. She may have only just met her granddaughter, but like every grandma, she knew how to embarrass her!

"Oui, grandmère," she said quickly, ushering her grandmother out of the chair and hurriedly draining her cup of tea. "We better go make it then," she said, dragging her towards the door. Marie laughed and didn't budge. "Actually, I think it can wait for a while, we don't need to sort it out yet…" she chuckled, obviously enjoying herself.

"Well, I think we should do it," Sophie said determinedly, and Marie knew that this time she would have to. "Sorry, Robert, we won't be long," Sophie said, rolling her eyes at her grandmother as they headed upstairs.

Robert laughed as he saw Sophie telling off her grandmother in hushed tones as they ascended the stairs. _She's just a chip off the old block, _Robert thought as he saw how alike the two women were. They had the same deep green eyes, the same slim figure, the same striking confidence- Robert could only begin to fathom how hard it must be for both of them to cope with the burden of their lineage. _Yet they are so confident and determined, _he thought, and felt really proud all of a sudden that he had met such wonderful people. Sitting at the table, staring into space for a while, he finally drained his cup and got out a newspaper and started scanning the headlines leisurely.

Sophie, however, was not feeling nearly as relaxed. After huffing and puffing over a massive tangle of covers, all she could think was; why don't they invent a bed making device? She had thought lots more intellectual thoughts in the past, but Sophie was not exactly renowned for her bed making skills. After what seemed like years, she decided that the lumpy pile of covers on the bed would have to do. She was exhausted. Right on cue, Marie bustled into the room, (brandishing a brand new pillowcase) and stopped in her tracks. She looked around in amusement, and, dropping the pillowcase, burst out laughing. "How long was I gone?" she spluttered, giggling. _Sympathy these days, _Sophie thought begrudgingly. _It's practically none-existent!_

Marie laughed for a while, then quickly heaved the covers into a more orderly fashion. She was clearly a pro at this kind of thing. After the bed was finally made, they both sat on the end of the bed, panting. "I take it your grandfather never enrolled you in the guides then?" Marie asked, chuckling. Sophie groaned and collapsed on the bed. "Grandmère," she said matter-of-factly, "Why on earth would the man who the church hates most in the world enrol his granddaughter in the guides?" she finished exasperatedly, flinging her arms in the air in distaste. Honestly. After a while, Marie left Sophie to go to sleep. She got undressed and dived in that comfy bed in the blink of an eye. Bed making was tiring.

She lay there alone for a few minutes, wondering when Robert was going to come up. _We're engaged!_ she couldn't help thinking. _We're engaged, we're engaged, we're engaged! _she felt like yelling out of the window. Soon she would no longer be Sophie Neveu. She'd be Mrs Sophie Langdon! She lay there for a while, excitedly dreaming up what would happen on their wedding day, when she heard a small noise at the door.

"Well hello there, fiancé!" she heard Robert's familiar deep voice chime in the corner. Sophie's heart fluttered nervously as she heard the word fiancé. Soon he would be her husband! She giggled. "Well hello there, _my _fiancé!" she replied, getting out of bed (it was hard, but for Robert it was worth it) and dragged him towards her. Her heart was most certainly fluttering now! She kissed him softly and grinned. "Maybe we should… celebrate…" she started, in what she hoped was a seductive voice. He kissed her back, and let's just say that there was a LOT of celebrating that night!


	11. A Phone Call

Sophie woke the following morning feeling as snug as a bug in a rug. Nestled in Robert's strong arms, she rotated her head slightly and kissed him tenderly on his cheek. Robert stirred slightly and reached for her. She snuggled deeper into the covers and yawned. As usual, she rolled over to check the clock. 9:00 am. What day was it again? Ah yes. Sunday. No need to get up yet. It annoyed her how she always woke up depressingly early on days that she didn't have to. They could get up mid-afternoon if they wanted. Robert stifled a yawn and wearily sat up. "Whatimeisit?" he mumbled, rubbing his bleary eyes. Sophie laughed and showed him the clock, which now showed 9:02. Robert yawned loudly and stretched. "Well in that case, I'm off to sleep again," he informed her, and then within minutes he was sound asleep once more. Sophie, however, was the kind of girl who, when awakened, would find it really hard to go back to sleep, so she just sat up in bed, listening to the peaceful sound of Robert's heavy breathing and resting her head on his shoulder. Although she felt really peaceful at first, with every passing minute she became more restless, so she fidgeted about trying to fall back to sleep. "Would you just stay still, you little jitterbug!" Robert joked. "I'm asleep!"

Sophie laughed and started tickling him. "But I'm not!" she said, laughing. Robert groaned and collapsed onto his pillow again, burying his head under it. "Why do you have to be a morning person!" he complained, while Sophie hit him on the head with a pillow.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up!" he gave in, throwing his hands in the air as if surrendering. He laughed, dragging himself out of bed.

"I'm just taking a shower," he told her, kissing her lightly on the head. "If anyone rings my cell phone, answer it for me,"

Sophie nodded and reached for some clothes. She was feeling very happy that day (understandably) and so she opted for something special to wear, rather than her usual casual jeans and t-shirt. Marvelling the many rows of shoes lined up in the wardrobe- she insisted on packing all of them, you never know when you might need them- she struggled to decide which ones. Like all girls, Sophie had a thing about high heeled shoes. Seeing as she was in a happy mood, she chose some sunshine-yellow high heels and pulled on a bright patterned skirt and a yellow top. She pulled up her hair and looked at the mirror, satisfied with her outfit. They had been planning on going out that day, and she wanted to look her best.

Meanwhile, over in a nearby town, Valerie Jones paced the bedroom of the huge Georgian mansion. Dressed to impress in a black Chanel suit and killer heels, she examined her icy expression in a full length mirror. In her hands she held a top of the range cell phone. She shut her heavily made-up eyes for a moment and sat on the edge of the four-poster bed, contemplating what she was about to do. _Was it really worth it? _a little voice seemed to question.

Her finger hovered over the buttons of the phone then she finally made her mind up.

Valerie Jones was no quitter. And with that, she began to dial.

_Bring! _Robert's phone rang from across the room. Sophie nearly jumped out of her skin. Stumbling as she pulled on the heels, she picked up the phone.

"Erm, hello?" she said awkwardly. She paused hesitantly, waiting for a reply.

"Hello, is Robert Langdon available?" a smooth American female voice came through the phone. Sophie cleared her throat. _Whoever this is obviously thinks I'm a secretary, _she thought. "No, sorry, he's umm… busy," she answered. There was a pause on the end of the line; the caller seemed to be thinking what to say next.

"Okay," the woman answered. "I'm Valerie Jones; may I ask who I'm speaking to?"

"I'm Sophie Neveu, I'm Robert's fiancé... " Sophie answered hesitantly. "Do you want me to give him a message?"

Valerie gasped for a moment. _He's already engaged? _she thought angrily. She considered hanging up on her. _Oh well. Just one more challenge. _"No, that's fine!" she shouted. Sophie had the distinct feeling that everything was not fine with this lady. She was starting to make her feel a bit uncomfortable.

An awkward silence passed. It seemed like an age before Robert burst out of the shower. Sophie almost screamed 'YES!' in relief. She ran at him with the phone so fast that he barely had time to put a towel on. (Not that Sophie cared.) "Answer the phone, Robert!" she said, putting it to his ear. "There's a woman on the phone, she says her name is Valerie Jones…. and she is somewhat scaring me,"

Robert shook his head. There was something about that name that fluttered his memory, but he wasn't quite sure. "Hello, this is Robert Langdon," he answered uncertainly.

"Ah, right, Mr Langdon, I needed to talk to you, honey," she cooed in answer. Robert paused, a puzzled expression on his face. He didn't recognise the number, yet he was sure he had heard that southern drawl somewhere before. "Excuse me?" he asked, confused. "Do I know you?" there was a long pause, and then she answered.

"Not yet, darlin'," she laughed. Robert shook his head. "So what do you need?" he asked.

Sophie felt concerned as she watched the long conversation between Robert and Valerie. Robert's brow was furrowed, and his features were creasing in concern. Throughout the conversation he had been scribbling down notes of some kind on a scrap piece of paper. _Directions, perhaps? _she wondered. She caught snippets of the conversation, but she still couldn't tell what the matter was. After what seemed like years, he finally hung up. He turned to face Sophie, biting his lip. "What's wrong!" she cried. "Has someone died?"

Robert shook his head. "No… but someone might." He cleared his throat. Sophie's eyes were like saucers.

"That was Valerie Jones," he began. "She lives nearby, and her husband is the vicar of the local church. There's been a break-in at the church… someone has scrawled over the walls in codes and symbols,"

He paused for a moment. Sophie's eyes had lit up at the sound of a code.

"And?" she questioned, eager to know more. "What else has happened?"

Robert inhaled nervously. "Her husband, John, has been kidnapped!"


	12. Friction

Sophie's jaw dropped. She opened her mouth for a moment to say something, but then refrained. Robert put an arm around her, his head also spinning.

"She said she knew of my work in symbology, and wanted me to help," he told her.

Sophie looked up. "But… how would she know about me?" she questioned, confused.

"I'm not exactly famous for being a cryptologist!" she finished, attempting a smile.

Robert bit his lip. "She didn't at first," he said, smiling slightly. "It wasn't until I asked her if I could take you along that she knew about your work with codes,"

He laughed and ran a hand through her soft hair. "She actually seemed quite jealous when I mentioned if I could bring my fiancé!"

Sophie giggled nervously. A thought flickered into her mind. "Robert?" she called to Robert, who was now pacing the room. "Yes?" he said, looking up momentarily.

"Why did she sound so… _cheery _on the phone if her husband has just been kidnapped?" she asked. Robert thought about it. He had to admit, that had irked him too. She sounded so dramatic on the phone… _almost too dramatic, _Robert thought for a second. _Don't be stupid, Robert, _he thought. It was a little bit farfetched that she would lie about something like this. Robert shook his head.

"I really don't know, Sophie," he answered. "But we're going to find out soon," he finished, heading towards his suitcase at the other end of the room.

Sophie looked up, surprised. "We're going now?" she asked, a little bit disappointed that she was not able to spend a bit more time with her grandmere.

"Well, yes," Robert chimed in from across the room. Sophie looked at him, incredulous. "To America??" she asked in disbelief. Ms. Jones' accent had mad her inclined to think that she was in America. Robert laughed.

"No!!" he chuckled. "She's actually in a nearby town right here in Scotland!"

he said, his voice rising excitedly. He was obviously excited about being called in to solve a kidnapping. "What a coincidence!" he added.

Sophie frowned. It all seemed to be too much of a coincidence to her. It really reminded her of how her grandfather died- codes scrawled on walls, kidnappings. _Don't be stupid, Sophie, _she thought. _She seemed very…nice on the phone. _

"Right!" Sophie said enthusiastically. She had to admit that the whole thing was intriguing. "So are we still going to be staying here?"

They had been planning on staying at Marie's for a week, and she was sure that Marie would be upset if they decided to go then. Robert was silent. Sophie began to get impatient. "Robert!!" she shouted. He looked up abruptly.

"Oh sorry," he said apologetically. "Yes, if Marie doesn't mind, we will be staying here," he said, and then seemed to get lost in his thoughts again. Sophie was slightly annoyed now. She gave up trying to talk, knowing by now that when Robert got wind of a new symbology mystery that he didn't know of, it was a waste of time trying to communicate with him!

Robert glanced over at Sophie for a minute. She seemed a bit upset. Slowly, he came

over and sat next to Sophie on the bed. She seemed a bit upset. He knew

he had got a bit carried away with the news. "I'm sorry," he said tenderly.

She smiled at him teasingly. "You know I'm used to it now," she joked.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear about that," he chuckled. "Maybe I should make it up to you…" he said and he began kissing her passionately on the lips.

She kissed him back, and it might have gone on quite a bit longer, but then they were broken off by Marie bursting into the room. Marie's cheeks coloured and they sprung apart. Marie laughed and said something in French. Sophie turned to same colour as the scarlet curtains and muttered back under her breath. Robert smiled, hoping he wasn't bright red too. A silence passed, before Marie broke the silence (not unusual).

"Are you two coming down for some breakfast?" Marie asked enthusiastically.

"I've made bacon," she said as an afterthought.

"Erm… no, Marie, something really important's come up," Robert quickly outlined what had happened. Marie's jaw also dropped.

"Oh my," she said and fell silent for a moment. "I'm not sure I want you going into something dangerous like this again!" she cried after some thought, flinging her arms in the air. (Robert noticed that both grandmother and granddaughter did this a lot.) Sophie put an arm around her grandmother and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Grandmere, if Robert and I hadn't embarked on something dangerous like that on the night grandpere died, Robert would still be in a French prison somewhere, we wouldn't be getting married and I would never have met you," she said.

Marie fell silent once again. Sophie had an annoying knack of always proving her wrong. "Okay…" she agreed slowly. "But you promise you have to be careful!! If you realise you're in over your heads, you leave and come back here, okay?" She smiled and kissed Sophie on the head and left the room. Robert turned to Sophie and laughed. "Now where were we?"

"Come on!" she shoved him off the bed. "You're the one who's desperate to get to the 'scene of the crime!'"

"I might just stay," Robert joked, heading down the stairs. They headed outside to see Sophie's smart car standing proudly in the drive. Robert shook his head and squeezed inside the tiny car. As Sophie revved up the ignition and reversed out of the iron gates, Robert was suddenly reminded of their hectic journey to the embassy on the night Sophie's grandfather had been murdered. The small car had been surprisingly efficient; the only remnant of its ordeal was a crack in the wing-mirror (which Sophie had never got round to replacing).

Within 10 minutes they were at the mansion. They could see the church next door, teetering precariously on the edge of rocky cliffs. Sophie suddenly found herself regretting the high heeled shoe choice she'd made for the day, as she wobbled up the rocky path. Robert, hesitating slightly, reached for the huge brass knocker on the oak door. Before he could knock, the door creaked open, and the couple found themselves staring at Valerie Jones.

"Well hello," she greeted them, ushering them in. "Thank goodness you could come," She was covered from head to toe in designer gear, with a sweet smile plastered on her face, which in return was coated with a rather thick layer of foundation.

Robert smiled confidently and shook her hand. Valerie gave him a penetrating stare and lingered slightly longer holding his hand than he held hers. Robert smiled back at her and gently pushed Sophie forward, obviously thinking she was a little shy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Jones," Robert said politely. "This is my fiancée, Sophie Neveu, as you know we met in Paris last year," Valerie's face creased up for a second as he said that, as if she didn't like what he had said.

Sophie forced a smile and took Valerie's hand. "I hope we can help you find your husband," she said. There was something rather fake about Mrs Jones that she couldn't quite place, but there was no need to be rude before she'd even got to know the woman.

"So, I guess I better fill you in on what's happened," Valerie's voice echoed across the silent foyer of the mansion, her high heels clacking on the marble floor. Sophie and Robert followed her through the house until they reached a large room. At the end of the room there was a large window. The room was sparsely decorated, the only furniture being a two piece suite and an armchair.

"Sit down, by all means," Valerie called to Robert. Robert sat down on the sofa, and smiled once again at their hostess. Sophie, getting increasingly unsure of the situation, made to go sit next to him, but quick as a flash Valerie sat on the sofa. Sophie stopped in her tracks, confused.

"You-will-have-to-go-sit-down-in-the-arm-chair," Valerie told her, saying all the words slowly and robotically, as if Sophie did not know proper English. Sophie gave a taut smile and stomped over to the arm chair, resisting the urge to slap this woman or, better still, throw her out of the window. _Just because I'm French doesn't mean I'm stupid!! _she felt like screaming.

"Now…" Valerie began, her voice wavering. "I will tell you everything,"


End file.
